Uranus by 2049: Here’s why scientists want NASA to send a flagship mission to the strange planet
WE think it because the scientists can’t wait to SkiUranus and SurfUranus!
A key committee of scientists has recommended that a flagship mission to Uranus should be NASA’s highest-priority large planetary science mission for the next decade.
Uranus is a mostly unexplored world; NASA’s only visit to the seventh planet was Voyager 2’s brief fly-by on Jan. 24, 1986, during which scientists discovered some of the planet’s rings and moons.
The new recommendation comes from a process called the decadal survey, which is led by the National Academy of Sciences and offers NASA guidance for prioritizing science goals. That committee’s new report, published Tuesday (April 19), highlighted a mission concept called the Uranus Orbiter and Probe (UOP) for a multi-year orbital tour during which it should jettison an atmospheric probe. The committee called Uranus “one of the most intriguing bodies in the solar system” and targeted launch opportunities in the early 2030s for a 12- to 13-year cruise out to begin observations.